PHOENIX, Ariz. — Mica Mountain Volleyball will look forward to next season and build off this latest playoff success. The next milestone to conquer is winning the AIA Volleyball state championship for themselves; the Thunderbolts fell to Estrella Foothills High School in the title game, 3-0.
The AIA Volleyball State Championships took place Saturday at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Mica Mountain kept in close in their first championship game in program history. The players kept it close in the first set, 25-23, but were unable to find a rhythm in the last two, losing 25-16, then 25-20.
After the game, Soso Okpara, an Air Force Volleyball commit, focused on celebrating a squad she said she will cherish forever. “As soon as that game ended, all I could think about is that I can’t play with these amazing girls again," Okpara said. "It hurts, but I’m so glad I was able to make it so far with them.”
It was not the outcome the Thunderbolts hoped for. Still, head coach Amy Johnson said no matter the outcome, this season's players have set the standard for Mica Mountain volleyball.
“These seniors have been with us since the beginning," Johnson said. "For me, it’s not having them in the gym tomorrow and how that looks and how it changes Mica Mountain volleyball by not having those girls around."
——
Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
----
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
- Download our free app for Roku, FireTV, AppleTV, Alexa, and mobile devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
